The Black Family
by Lady Lestat
Summary: Have you ever wondered about Hobbes' family? What if it's a lot darker than you thought? Will be HobbesMildred unless people object to it.


Disclaimer - I do not own the worst witch. This fic is dedicated to Daisy Gurl because she has written practically all the stories about Hobbes in this section and he is the best character by far. Plus she asked for people to write fics at the end of 'His Secret' so I have.  
  
Chapter one  
  
Nicholas Hobbes was officially pissed off. Who the heck did Ethel think she was? He could still see it now, the entire room turning as one to stare at him non-plussed. She had no right yelling at him about his family in that way. What did she know, they would never understand him and he was perfectly satisfied to let it stay that way.  
  
"Hobbes! Wait up!" the voice of Mildred Hubble echoed down the long high ceilinged hallways of Weirdsister college.   
  
'Oh great' he thought to himself as he quickened his pace, 'just what I needed. Saint Mildred along to ask me concernedly what the hell is wrong with me by pointing out the bleeding obvious yet again'.   
  
Taking a sharp right Hobbes dived for the door and ran out into the street. It was pouring with rain but he didn't really mind. It wasn't that he disliked Mildred, hell, sometimes he even thought he might love her, but right now he didn't think he could stand anyone's presence right now save his own, and even that was doubtful.  
  
Hearing clattering footsteps from within the magical gateway to the college Hobbes decided to leg it away from the building as fast as was humanly possible to a place where he could properly hear himself think.  
  
He dashed in between buildings, cars and the few people who had been caught out by the sudden downpour whilst out doing their shopping. He hadn't felt this free for a long time. Free to think. Free to flee. Free to go wherever he wanted without being answerable to anyone.  
  
Coming to a slightly breathless halt, Hobbes gazed around at the town park. He loved it here. It felt so open compared to the crumbling halls of Weirdsister or the cramped, noisy corners of Misery Café. Climbing up the knobbly bark of a tree overhanging the lake, Hobbes felt suddenly reckless hanging over the water like that. It made him feel daring, as though he could do anything in that quiet corner of the park, seemingly miles away from any sort of civilization.  
  
He knew it was only a park, but people seldom came here, especially to this section as there were no play swings or proper footpaths. It helped him to sort out his problems, so he could go back to putting on his 'couldn't-care-less-face' and continue skulking the shadows in peace.  
  
Speaking of problems. Why on earth did they have to do this stupid 'bonding' thing all of a sudden anyway? It was all part of making the college more united after the incidents of last year, which Hobbes could only remember too well.   
  
But, at least the class would know that the Whisperer wasn't entirely his fault. After all, because of that ridiculous sharing your family with others thing, they would all know that his little power trip had been purely hereditary.   
  
Well, he hadn't actually confessed his family were a bit, shall we say, power hungry, but he supposed he could see their point of view. Looking small portraits of his mother and his two aunts you could tell there was something about them. They had a certain dark aura about them. The shadows of the pictures were inky black and seemed to draw you in.  
  
Remembering everyone crowding around him after the whispers had started, neglecting their own pictures of happy families with giant cheesy grins on their faces, the adults with their arms wrapped around the children.  
  
Hobbes knew he didn't come from an ordinary family, heck, he knew he wasn't ordinary by society's standards even if he was in a college for magical people. So what if he liked to spend time on his own? He happened to consider himself the only person he knew worth spending time with.   
  
Although…Mildred never treated him badly. Or at least only when he deserved it. He wouldn't readily admit his mistakes, but for her, he would probably do anything. Unfortunately, she seemed to either hate his guts at that moment, or pity him, which was almost worse. Besides, she had boyfriend Ben to occupy her time didn't she?  
  
Still, he could imagine couldn't he? Leaning against the trunk of the tree with a sigh, Hobbes lazily watched a flock of geese take off from the lake to go and harass the ducks on the other side for the mouldy bread someone had dumped on one of the banks earlier.  
  
His family would never let him be with Mildred anyway, even if she did like him and he stopped messing up all the time. Even if he didn't show it, Hobbes came from a very rich and influential family in the magical world. They prided themselves on being pure-blooded wizards, which meant the entire family had some form of magical talent. Those families that didn't, such as a witch being born from non magical parents, would be called muggleborns. Or, thought Hobbes with disgust, mudbloods, which was a really dirty name to call someone with non magical heritage.  
  
He suspected Mildred was from a muggle family. Also she was far too noble and good to ever want anything to do with the dark side so the chances of them being together without being killed were practically zero.  
  
Touching his left arm gingerly, Hobbes suppressed a wince of pain as he thought back to the previous summer. He was so intent on his thoughts as he stared gloomily down into the lakes murky depths that he didn't see someone coming up behind him.  
  
Feeling a sudden hand coming down on his shoulder he nearly fell into the water in shock. Luckily he was saved by Mildred grabbing his left arm tightly and pulling him towards her. Gasping in pain at the sharp, shooting pain spread up his arm at her touch he didn't notice until it was too late that they had fallen the short height from the tree and were now half submerged in mud and grimy shallow water.  
  
AN - I hope you all like what I've done so far. I know The Worst Witch fanfics are in very short supply so I realize I won't get many reviews, but PLEASE try! I'm not sure what to write next, so if any of you take pity on me and review it would be greatly appreciated if you could put in some ideas. Plus tell me what you think of the idea of crossing the story over with Harry Potter? OK, now that I've finished my unashamed begging for reviews I'll leave you poor harassed people alone, until next time! 


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